Ian Bailey is seeking assurances from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that it will hand over any documents that might tend to show unlawful behaviour by the garda authorities.

The former journalist is suing for alleged wrongful arrest as part of the murder investigation into the death of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Co Cork in 1996.

Mr Bailey was arrested twice as a suspect in the murder investigation.

He is now suing the garda authorities and the state, claiming malice and wrongful arrest in a hearing that is due to go before a jury next month.

Today, the sides battled out last minute discovery issues.

Lawyers for Mr Bailey want assurances the DPP will hand over any documents that might tend to show unlawful behaviour by state parties towards the former journalist and his longstanding partner, Jules Thomas.

They say in the past, they received documents of this nature from the DPP which they had not known existed.

GSOC has been ordered to hand over statements it received from key witnesses in the du Plantier case - including Marie Farrell, who in 2005 withdrew a garda statement that incriminated Mr Bailey.